1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a headrest control device and headrest drive mechanism for use in an automotive seat which are capable of moving the headrest of a rear seat in connection with changing to a reverse gear for the backing of a car to thereby obtain a good backward field of vision for the driver.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For example, when a conventional headrest is mounted to the top of a rear seat, the headrest does not offer a very substantial obstacle in the normal driving of a car. However, when backing the car, the headrest disposed on the upper end of a seat back of the rear seat obstructs the backward visual range of a driver, that is it provides a visual obstacle to the most convenient backing of the car.
In view of the above, there has been proposed a headrest control system in which the headrest is moved from its support position to a position below the driver's backward field of view when shifting to reverse, and the headrest remains retracted. According to this headrest control system interlocked with the gear change, because the headrest of the rear seat remains stored at a position below the driver's field of view when he or she is backing a car, the driver can back the car without his or her vision being obstructed by the rear seat headrest.
However, in the above-mentioned known headrest control system interlocked with engagement of the reverse gear, if the gear is shifted to reverse, then, whether an occupant is present in the rear seat or not, the headrest in the rear seat is immediately moved to a position below the driver's backward field of view and stays there.
Also, most of the time, the headrest is mounted to the upper end portion of the seat back through a stay in such a manner that it can be moved in a vertical direction and the headrest can be stored in a recess-like storage space formed in the upper end portion of the rear seat back. This limits the shapes of the headrest and the quality of the appearance of the rear seat back is lowered due to such recess being formed in the rear seat back. In particular the appearance is poor when the headrest is raised up to its support position for use because the storage space in the upper end portion of the headrest is exposed and the unattractive stay is clearly visible.